MNL

06/16/2026

This morning, FOX 9 Good Day joined us live from our G1 production facility in Foley to spotlight the power of native plants and the role they play in creating healthier ecosystems and landscapes.

https://www.fox9.com/video/fmc-gqzfhc2xl0xj9rbh

During the segment, Ridge Campbell, our Greenhouse Manager, spoke with Dale K the Garden Guy about the benefits of native plants, how homeowners can bring them into their own landscapes, and why they’re so important for supporting pollinators, biodiversity, and long-term environmental stewardship.

We’re proud to keep advancing our Mission to Heal the Earth by helping make sustainable landscaping practices more accessible through education and our online store.

A big thank you to Ridge Campbell for coordinating this opportunity and representing our organization so well!

Garden Guy Dale K checks out MNL to learn more about native plants and urban landscaping, and how they can have a major impact on your yard.

06/15/2026

What do you get when you get MNL, Enel Green Power, St. Paul Rotary, Pollinator Friendly Alliance and a bunch of awesome volunteers together?

Maybe not so surprisingly you get beautiful native plant gardens in the heart of the city.

Gardens that attract wildlife right in front of where the Wild play, over 2,000 native pollinator plants are now settling in near the Grand Casino Arena.. As these plantings grow and fill out through the season, they'll catch the eyes of thousands passing through one of the city's most visible spaces.

This is what we love to see our urban environments looking like.. Beautifully vibrant, functional for wildlife, and to represent of the geographical flora that surrounds the asphalt and concrete barriers that surround the metro walls.
Inviting and supporting native plants and pollinators can only enrich our cities, strengthen our communities, and inspire every nature-lover who passes by.

06/10/2026

Across the Midwest, many species are at risk because of the loss of native prairie.

One of them is the Greater Prairie Chicken, an unforgettable grassland bird known for its iconic spring dance and deep, booming calls. Each year, males gather on open prairie to perform, compete, and carry on a rhythm that has echoed across these landscapes for generations.

But as prairie ecosystems diminish, so do the places these birds depend on for nesting, feeding, shelter, and survival.

When we protect prairie, we protect more than plants. We protect songs, dances, habitats, and the wildlife that make these landscapes come alive.

06/05/2026

What happens after a prescribed burn?

This is just seven short weeks after we burned our office rain garden, and the resilience of native perennials is on full display.

Prairies evolved with fire, and prescribed burns help restore the natural processes these ecosystems depend on. Fire in this context isn’t destruction, it’s pure rejuvenation.

06/03/2026

Where to begin? The ultimate question.

It’s tempting to think you can just add native plugs or scatter seed into turf or w**ds, but native plantings usually need the site preparation first.

The goal is to clear or weaken the existing vegetation so the natives have a real chance to establish. If you have a large area this will definitely feel daunting, so working in sections is a great approach. Start with one manageable area, prepare it well, plant it, see what species do well, and then expand from there.

Site prep can look different depending on the w**ds and your location. Spraying can work in some situations, but near a pond or wetland, chemicals aren’t an option. In that case, the best strategy is to deny w**ds one thing they most definitely need: sunlight.
The most accessible option is regular brown cardboard (finally something to do with that stack of Amazon boxes). Remove tape, labels, and plastic, then lay the cardboard over the area with pieces overlapping. Since cardboard can be unsightly, you can cover it with mulch to make the area look cleaner while it does its job, it also weigh down the cardboard.

From here, timing depends on how you want to plant. If you plan to seed, it’s best to let the cardboard and mulch suppress the existing vegetation first, often for a full growing season, so the seeds have less competition.

But if you’re using native plugs, you don’t necessarily have to wait that long. After a couple of weeks, once the cardboard has settled and the mulch bed is stable, you can cut small openings through the cardboard and plant plugs directly into the soil underneath. The cardboard and mulch continue suppressing w**ds while the plugs begin establishing.

Weeds may still pop up afterward, but at a significantly weakened state.

Example pictured: the side of the house, where only w**ds are growing. This area was w**d whipped, covered with cardboard to block sunlight, and topped with mulch to make it look cleaner while the site prep did its work.

06/01/2026

This past weekend marked the grand opening of Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi's new Center, honoring Waḳaŋ Ṭípi, a sacred Dakota site near the Mississippi River just east of downtown St. Paul.

It was a privilege to be part of the living restoration of this place helping seed and plant native vegetation so it can once again flourish on the grounds. After generations of industrial use, pollution, and neglect, this restoration will heal what has been damaged: returning life, memory, and respect to a place that has always held deep sacred significance.

The Center will offer people the opportunity to learn about the cultural significance of plants, Dakota relationships with land and place, and the traditions of care and stewardship that continue here. It stands as a reminder that restoration is not only about the land, but also about how we understand our relationship to it.

This place honors Dakota people whose knowledge and sacred connection to the land invites all of us to relearn what it means to be part of the Earth, and not separate from it.

05/28/2026

Looking for your next obsession?

Have you tried Carex?

Aka native plant gardening’s best-kept secret: sedges.
Not grass, although they’ll fool the non-believers.

There’s a sedge for almost every place: sun or shade, wet or dry, slopes, compacted soils, woodland edges, tricky corners, lawn replacements, and all the “what do I even plant here?” spots.

They’re the thread that structures the whole blanket of vegetation. They flower, produce unique seed heads, hold soil, feed and shelter wildlife, and often stay green through winter, even under snow.

Once you plant them, and see, you'll understand why...
They’re the glue, the foundation, the quiet constant beneath the seasonal drama.
The forbs will come and go, bloom and fade, rise and collapse.

But the sedges....the sedges remains true.

05/22/2026

It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

Native plant gardening doesn’t mean you have to rip out every peony, cat mint, or giant onion in your garden. Garden design is an expression of you. You are the artist curating colors, selecting textures, eliciting emotions, and creating discovery within a space.

Native plants are not here to eliminate that beauty, only expand upon it.

Native plants offer something many traditional ornamentals do not, support for wildlife. You begin noticing the Monarch landing on milkw**d, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds visiting your Columbine, or a species of native bee you have never seen before drinking nectar from Bergamot.

Your definition of Beauty will evolve when you begin discovering who else your garden is supporting.

Somewhere along the way, gardening became framed as a choice between ornamental beauty or ecological purpose. But who is to say we cannot live in the best of both? A Peony beside Prairie Smoke. Giant Onion standing over Common Milkw**d. Structure, color, ecology, and personality all can exist together.

Healing the earth does not require perfection. It starts with understanding what the plants in your garden are doing and asking whether they are offering something beyond pure aesthetic quality.

If you do not already have native plants in your garden, try a couple out. Just do not say we didn’t warn you when it becomes addictive.

05/20/2026

If you were unaware of World Bee Day...you're not anymore!
This clip is from a video we made from when we had the pleasure interviewing Marissa Chase of University of MN Bee Lab as she talks about the importance of rare bee's and how they all contribute to pollination of plants.
Go celebrate the bees you'll see a lot of diversity even now in spring!
You can check the full video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofA4IPyK5rk

05/19/2026

Many thanks to everyone who came out to the Native Plant Market at the City of Burnsville, Minnesota - Municipal Government ! We had a great time seeing you in person.

If you missed it, no worries. We have more in-person events coming up, including the Landscape Revival sale near Lake Elmo in early June.

You can preorder here with the same deal as before: $25 off six six-packs of any species of your choice. We’ll also be bringing plants to buy off the truck.

Last day to order is May 31! See you there!

https://mnlcorp.com/product/landscape-revival-expo-market-preorder/